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The Counter-Strike world has been sitting in eager anticipation, theorizing about how the release of Counter-Strike 2 will impact the professional scene. The waiting ends on October 15th as the first Intel Extreme Masters on the new game kicks off in Sydney, Australia.
With teams having limited experience with the new title, fans can expect plenty of unpredictable gameplay in the opening round of best-of-1s in the Group Stage.
You won’t want to miss when the next era of Counter-Strike Esports begins on Sunday. You can catch all of the action live on Twitch and YouTube.
ENCE vs. Lynn Vision
- When: Sunday, October 15th – 10:30 PM ET
- Odds: ENCE (-360) vs. Lynn Vision (+255)
ENCE had a great end to the CS:GO era, finding a 3rd-4th place finish at the ESL Pro League Season 18, following 2nd place finishes at Gamers8 and IEM Cologne, and even having a win at IEM Dallas back in June. They take on the winner of the IEM Sydney: Asian Qualifier, Lynn Vision.
Lynn Vision is a Chinese squad that has made splashes in Asia but has yet to have a breakout performance at any of the top-tier tournaments. Their last performance on a big stage was a 21st-28th place finish at the ESL Pro League.
They hope to get some valuable experience and to try and take a couple of maps off of the top teams, and they may be able to catch one of the best teams in the world in the opening best-of-1.
Fnatic vs. Cloud9
- When: Sunday, October 15th – 10:30 PM ET
- Odds: Fnatic (+131) vs. Cloud9 (-170)
The opening round provides an exciting match between the 18th best team in the ESL World Rankings, Fnatic, taking on the 9th ranked Cloud9. Both of these historied esports organizations had a rough ending to the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive period of the sport. Both teams had mediocre performances at the ESL Pro League Season 18, Gamers8, IEM Cologne, and Dallas.
Both teams have large fan bases, hoping their team will be able to get a quick start to the new era of the game. With both teams being so close in talent, each round is going to be a battle, making this game a must-watch for any Counter-Strike fan.
G2 Esports vs. Grayhound
- When: Sunday, October 15th – 11:45 PM ET
- Odds: G2 Esports (-485) vs. Grayhound (-170)
The biggest favorite in the opening round of the Group Stage is the 3rd best team in the world, G2 Esports, taking on the hometown hero, Grayhound, who is ranked 61st in the ESL World Rankings.
There is an apparent difference in skill when comparing the two teams’ recent results, as Grayhound would find 21st-place finishes at both the ESL Pro League and IEM Cologne, while G2 Esports ended the Pro League in 5th after winning IEM Cologne. However, could there be a more exciting start to the CS2 era than an underdog finding a massive upset in front of their home crowd?
Monte vs. Complexity Gaming
- When: Sunday, October 15th – 11:45 PM ET
- Odds: Monte (-136) vs. Complexity Gaming (+108)
Monte qualified for IEM Sydney via their #7 ranking in the ESL World Rankings and will be taking on Complexity Gaming, who won their way into IEM Sydney via the North American Qualifier. Monte is coming off a great finish at the ESL Pro League finding a 3rd-4th finish. Complexity Gaming didn’t do too badly at the Pro League, either, finding a 9th-12th place finish.
The team, however, that eliminated Complexity was none other than Monte. Will Complexity be able to find revenge over Monte, or will the European squad take down the North Americans once again?
The last time these two teams faced off, it resulted in an awesome competitive match. You won’t want to miss this one.